Downers Grove considers new apartments near downtown

Developers are seeking to build a six-story apartment complex just east of Downers Grove's downtown district.

The village's Plan Commission voted this week to recommended the Village Council give its final approval to the 48-unit building at 715-719 Rogers St.

The building would have a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, each with its own covered balcony, according to the petition. The building would also have a roof garden.

The units are intended to be high-end with hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, the petition states. Each unit also would have a washer/dryer, and each floor would have a trash chute going to a closed room at the lower parking level.

The land has a very steep slope, where the developers plan to build two levels of open-air parking. The bottom level for residents would be accessible via Prospect Avenue to the west of the property, and the street-level parking for visitors would be accessible from Rogers Street.

The design team said the apartments would be marketed toward commuters seeking to live near public transit. The site sits just north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train tracks and between the Main Street and Fairview Avenue stations.

"We have looked at this area to take advantage of the transit-oriented nature of this section of downtown," said developer Ken Rathje. "This is designed to be long-term housing. It is not designed to be transient."

This is the second proposal that the developer, RMG Realty Group, has brought before the village to develop the property.

In 2008, the owners received approval from the village to build 16 town homes on the parcel. That plan never materialized and the permits since lapsed, officials said.

"Due to a variety of economic and market conditions, the previous plans could not be implemented," the developers wrote in the application.

Despite lengthy discussions in which the eight-member board questioned elements from security to building design to odor in the trash chute, the commission voted 7-1 in favor of the apartment complex. Commissioner Michael Quirk was the lone holdout.

Quirk refused to support the proposal, saying that he did not think the structure was appropriate for a property zoned as "downtown transition," an area he felt should smoothly shift from commercial to residential buildings.

"This is a six-story building in a two-story area," Quirk said. "Having something as high as the Tivoli (Theatre) on the edge of our transition area is nothing more than a brick wall. I'm for redevelopment; I'm not for this project."

"To support the amenities of the building, you need to have a certain scale," Rathje said. "This is how it worked out. I think this is a very nicely scaled building and it's very much in keeping with the downtown."

The public input offered at the meeting was mixed.

"This didn't work in 2008 for a reason," said Henry Schmidt. "This is not the place for this wonderful structure. Rogers Street cannot handle. I think you're going to ruin this community by doing this."

"I think this is a wonderful addition to our neighborhood," said Christina Benson. "I think it will attract young professionals who will lay down roots and spend money."

The petition is scheduled to come before the Village Council in early March.